Thousands attend parade in city

An Apprentice Boys parade in Londonderry

Thousands of people took part in the Apprentice Boys Relief of Derry parade in Londonderry on Saturday.

About 15,000 Apprentice Boys and spectators, accompanied by 120 bands, marched through the city.

The parade passed off peacefully, although there were five arrests following minor assaults and public order offences.

The PSNI officer leading the security operation, Superintendent Paul Douglas said the day had been a success.

"So far it has largely been an incident-free day and that is largely due to the work done by police and the organisers, local community groups and of course the business forum here in the town.

"So we're very pleased and I would thank everyone concerned for their efforts so far," he said.

Some shops remained closed throughout the day, and a number of traders expressed concerns.

DUP assembly member William Hay, a leading Apprentice Boy, said they were doing everything to minimise disruption.

"There's still a lot of work to be done."

"It's very much in our minds that the whole community benefits from this," he added.

However, cafe owner Declan Moore said he was afraid that he would lose trade because of the parade and that it was a "ludicrous" situation.

The parade celebrates the actions of Protestant Apprentice Boys, who shut the city gates against the forces of Catholic King James in December 1688.

The Apprentice Boys marched around the city walls before laying wreaths for war victims at the Diamond.